Amir Khan, having done everything humanly possible to prove he is worthy of that mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather, may be denied the chance forever by the public demand for the Money man to meet the PacMan in the richest boxing match of all time.
It could be May or nothing for Khan. But the prospect of riding his brilliant Saturday night victory over Devon Alexander into the opposite corner for Mayweather?s next fight is threatened by Floyd Jnr?s announcement that he is finally ready and willing to meet Manny Pacquiao in the spring.
There is one fight left after that on Mayweather?s $300 million dollar contract with the Showtime pay-per-view cable network.
That is scheduled for September and would be a natural fall back for Khan ? except that it would clash with the Muslim fasting for Ramadan, which he strictly observes and which would rule him out on that date.
And that will be the last of those half-dozen Showtime fights after which Mayweather, now 38, is threatening to retire.
Oscar De La Hoya, Khan?s Golden Boy promoter, concedes: ?It will be perfectly reasonable if Floyd and Manny get it on. This is not only the fight the world has been waiting to see but one which boxing needs to happen.
?I still don?t think it will take place but if it does we will need Plan B for Amir.?
The alternatives include a Battle of Britain with Sheffield?s new ? albeit stabbing victim ? world welterweight champion Kell Brook.
Eddie Hearn, Brook?s promoter, was at ringside in Las Vegas on Saturday night talking up that fight as a Wembley Stadium follow up to his spectacular staging there of Carl Froch?s stunning KO of George Groves.
Khan would also like to set the record straight in a revenge match with Danny Garcia, who temporarily derailed his career with a knock out.
But Mayweather is the dream and after proving so splendidly against Alexander that he deserves that chance Khan will be mortified if it does not become reality.
